Trek the Kokoda Trail Travel Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Kokoda Track’

On Tue 22nd June I was at the Brisbane International Airport to meet the members from Team 5 as they arrived home. It was great to see them  and to hear that they  all had such a good time. Weather conditions were perfect and the trails were not busy at all. Good feed back from our trekkers on our trek crew.  This is just great to hear that our trek crew are really doing a good job.  This year most of our crew is knew accept for the key staff.  Many of the younger porters are working so they can finance the cost of a trip to the Gold coast later on in the year where they will be ‘auditioning’ for a  possible contract with the National Rugby league Club, the Gold Coast Titans.

 This morning I was at the International Airport once again to say good bye to Team 6 and their leader Spencer  as they head  off on their great adventure. It is wonderful to see all our Teams depart in such high spirits and then return in even better cheer.

If  you haven’t walked theTrack, give it some serious consideration. It wont change your life necessarily, however, it will make you think a little more on just how fortunate we are to live in such a  wonderful country.

Team 4  flew into Brisbane yesterday on the daily Air Niugini flight  after completing a successful traverse of the Kokoda Track.  A large part of this Team was made up of students and teachers from the Cressy School in Tasmania.
On speaking with them  it was plain to see that trekking the Kokoda Track is a fantastic experience for young adults. It takes them out of their comfort zone  and places them in a totally foreign environment where they have to adapt and perform.

Many of these young leaders of tomorrow said that they would love to do the Track again with friends and family.

Well done Cressy School and on behalf of your trekking company, Back Track Adventures  and your trek Leader Jo Macione, it was  agreat experience for us as well. You were all great trekkers and great fun.  Well done and congratulations on your contribution to another  safe and rewarding trek for the whole Team.

Our trekkers health and safety are a major concern for us all. The Track is a remote location and if any problems are encountered along the Track it is essential that we have systems in place to handle any emergency situation.

The most important requirement is that our trek leaders have ready access to outside assistance should it be required.  Just a quick call on the satellite phone will put the Leader in contact with a Doctor back here in Australia and if there is a real medical emergency,  systems are in place to arrange for a helicopter evacuation.

From the moment one of our trekking teams departs Australia, our back up emergency operations  plan comes in to play.  24 hours a day, our operations managers  in Australia and in Port Moresby carry with them  mobile phones  linked through to our Trek leader’s satellite phone on the Track. If a call is received at any time the Operations manager carries with him a complete list of all the details of each trekker from their insurance details right through to their emergency contacts.  From back in Australia the Ops manager is therefore able to  assist the Trek leader in any emergency situation.

An enormous effort has been made around the Kokoda airstrip in March.  The entire airstrip has been slashed and mown, the new terminal area has been surveyed and cleared, 60 safety cones and 2 windsocks installed, and a signal circle cleared and painted.

The airstrip has now been cleared to the northern end of the market road. Part 2 of the safety package will see  the airstrip extended further, a new terminal building and apron and navigation and weather equipment installed later this year.

A team of Doctors, in conjunction with the Kokoda Track Authority, have recently returned from the Kokoda Track with a wealth of research information.

Over 185 trekkers on Anzac Day treks  volunteered to give a blood sample to the research teams who were strategically placed  at Iorobaiwa and Isurava .

The study data is yet to be statistically analysed, but the general message to come from the study is in keeping with similar research in competitive endurance events. Put simply to drink when you feel thirsty. The Kokoda Track places the body under significant physiological stress and a consistent, sensible fluid intake is required. Trekkers need to avoid dehydration but must resist the temptation to force themselves to drink too much fluid while on the Track.